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Peterson says he's done his best to represent agriculture Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Collin Peterson says he does the best he can to represent agriculture in Congress and if reelected he's looking forward to the challenge of being one of the lead authors of the next farm bill.
Peterson is running for re-election against Republican Michael Barrett of Browerville. Peterson has served in Congress for 16 years and is the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. If the balance of power shifts to the Democrats, it's said that Peterson will become chairman of the committee, a point used by other House Democrats in their campaigns.
Writing a new farm bill will be Peterson's priority if he's sent back to Congress. He wants to keep most of what's in the 2002 bill and add a permanent disaster program and an energy title.
Farm-state representatives will have their hands full keeping what was passed in 2002, Peterson said, because there are several forces trying to undo the bill. The administration will likely pressure Congress to eliminate farm subsidies, using the savings for other programs. He doesn't favor that and also wants to keep the sugar program and the Conservation Reserve Program.
A permanent disaster program needs to be included in the bill, Peterson said, but he's not locked into any specifics. Now, his idea is that farmers be required to buy crop insurance to cover 60 percent of losses. Another 35 percent of losses would be covered by disaster assistance. Ad hoc disaster assistance will likely go by the wayside because money often goes to people who shouldn't be paid.
Peterson would make a change in the CRP language in the farm bill, allowing switchgrass to be grown on the land. The grass could be harvested for energy production.
Cellulosic ethanol will be the next step in renewable energy, Peterson said, and research needs to be ramped up in the field to solve technological issues. The problem will be getting the first commercial plant built, he said.
Switchgrass could be one feedstuff for a commercial plant and it's cheaper to grow than corn and yields more ethanol per acre. Corn stover and corn bred to produce more ethanol per bushel are other possible future fuels.
Congress also needs to act on health care, Peterson said. It has passed legislation for health savings accounts and is working on legislation allowing groups to pool their members and offer insurance, but he said the quickest way to get everyone covered is to extend the federal employee health benefit plan to all citizens.
The federal employee health benefit plan operates in all 50 states, has about 8 million enrollees and includes 220 plans nationwide. It's $150 a month for a single person, Peterson said. It doesn't include dental or prescription drug coverage. He's not into creating a new bureaucracy for health care coverage.
Immigration is another important issue in his district. Peterson supported the fence along the border with Mexico, but he doesn't think it will solve the problem by itself. The government needs to find out who's here before it figures out what to do.
He says a biometric tamperproof Social Security card for every American will put smugglers out of business. The card will be forge-proof and will be required for a person to work in the United States. If people can't work, they won't immigrate. Employers will need to be held accountable then for hiring illegal immigrants and given a substantial fine for violations. At the same time, the country has to make sure their are enough laborers.
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